Vancouver’s new bike share program – Mobi – has expanded, with service doubled since the July 20th soft launch. “Starting now, anyone can rent a Mobi bike to get from Point A to Point B,” says Mia Kohout, general manager of Vancouver Bike Share, Inc., operator of Mobi.

On July 20, the City of Vancouver and Vancouver Bike Share launched the Mobi bike share system to founding members only – those who have purchased a one-year membership – to test the system before making it more widely available. “Mobi has been well-embraced by Vancouverites, with more than 25,000 rides and 3,700 local founding members since the soft launch last month, and we’re just getting started,” says Mayor Gregor Robertson. “With over half of trips in Vancouver made by walking, bike or transit, Mobi has been a great addition to our active transportation network, making it even easier to get between transit stops or navigate the downtown core.”

Public response to Mobi so far has been positive. Since the initial launch of 250 bikes at 23 stations, the Mobi network has grown:

  • 46 stations and almost 500 bikes;
  • 3,739 one-year memberships purchased;
  • 25,508 total rides since July 20 (where a bike was taken from one station and returned to another), with an average to date of more than 700 trips a day.

“Day” passes can now be purchased on the mobile version of mobibikes.ca for $7.50, including unlimited 30 minute rides with additional charges for longer rides. Monthly passes are also now available for between $10 and $20 per month depending on the plan. Helmets are available on bikes at no additional cost.

More Mobi stations and more bikes will be added every week until the full deployment of 150 stations and 1,500 bikes are available for use. The geographic service area includes the Downtown Peninsula, bounded by Arbutus Street, 16th Avenue and Main Street.

Users can find a map with live stations and number of bikes and open docks available at each station, plus more details on pricing, on the Mobi web site at mobibikes.ca.

Source: City of Vancouver